Paper roll breaker



Jan. 9, 1951 J. A. HOLMBERG PAPER ROLL BREAKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1948 INVENTOR. JOHN A HOLMBE RG ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1951 J. A. HOLMBERG PAPER ROLL BREAKER Filed Aug. :51, 1948 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 f I 29 O 34 Hi I is? as [Ila l6 l9 60 3| W 20 21 n M 6 2 o as 22 i a u a INVENTOR. JOHN A 'HOLMBERG ATTOR N EY Jan. 9, 1951 J, HQLMBERG 2,537,464

PAPER ROLL BREAKER Filed Aug. 31, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOHN A HOLMBERG ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1951 PAPER ROLL BREAKER John A. Holmberg, Camas, Wash., assignor to Crown Zellerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application August 31, 1948, Serial N 0. 47,069

Claims.

This invention relates to the breaking apart or separating of individual sections or small rolls after these are formed from a long roll of paper by transverse sawing or cutting through the long roll.

More specifically, this invention relates to the breaking apart of rolls of soft paper, such as rolls of toilet paper. for example, after these have been cut from longer rolls.

Toilet paper, like other grades of paper, is delivered from the paper making machine in a wide strip. This paper is then wound on a long thin roller, over which cardboard cores for the finished rolls are first placed, and an elongated roll of the paper, of the diameter desired for the small finished rolls, is then produced. The elongated roll of paper is then passed through a battery of rotating saws or knives spaced an equal and desired distance apart which cut the elongated roll into small rolls of the proper size. However, in spite of the fact that these transverse cuts are made entirely through the long roll, the fibrous frayed surfaces of the opposed faces of the cuts cause the cut sections to hold together quite firmly so that the individual sections or small rolls must then be forcibly broken apart and separated before the separate small rolls can be passed to the wrapping machines.

This breaking apart and separating of the small rolls has for the most part been performed by manual labor heretofore, and the Work is fatiguing and monotonous and relatively slow from the standpoint of labor costs. While some machines have been developed for the performance of this work, nevertheless, to the best of my knowledge and according to my observations they have not .proven entirely satisfactory especially with extremel soft toilet tissue rolls.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for breaking apart and separating the individual small rolls of paper after they are cut from elongated rolls.

A related object is to provide a machine of the nature above indicated, which will be simple and practical in construction, easy to operate and maintain, and in which there will be no danger of injury to the small rolls as they are broken apart and separated.

The means which I have invented and developed for accomplishing these objects, and the manner in which these objects and other advantages are attained through my invention will be briefly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my paper roll breaker;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail illustrating in elevation the arrangement and operation of the intermittent control or the Geneva clutch employed in my device;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, on line 4 -4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the roll-turning element of Fig. 4 showing the same separated from the rest of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the same element;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view, showing a slight modification in the roll-severing means; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the sawed or cut rolls of paper, indicated by the reference character R in Fig. 1, which are to be broken apart and separated, are moved along, into, through and from the roll breaker on an endless traveling belt II), the direction of travel being from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1. The roll breaker is operated from a single motor indicated at M in Fig. 1. The motor drives a shaft ll, through suitable gear connection, and the shaft H carries a worm I2 which drives a worm gear I 3 secured to a shaft I4 (shown in section in Fig. 2). One-half of a clutch assembly, which assembly is familiarly known as a Geneva clutch is secured to the shaft if, and the other half is secured to shaft I 5 rotatably mounted above shaft l4 and parallel to it. This clutch assembly,

is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The lower half of the assembly includes a plate It having two opposite side edges I1 and i8 formed into identical-concave arcs, and the plate also has two opposite ends I9 and 2G formed into convex arcs. The concave edges ll and I8, as apparent from Fig. 2,'are arcs of a circle having its center on the axis of the upper shaft l5. The convex edges l9 and 26, as apparent from Fig. 3, are arcs of a circle having its center on the axis of the lower shaft M. A pair of elongated plates 2i are attached to opposite faces of the plate l6 and serve to support a pair of rollers 22 at opposite ends and at equal radial distance from the axis of the shaft 14.

The upper half of the clutch assembly con-.

sists of a plate 23 in the general shape of a Maldicular to each other, adapted to accommodate the rollers 22 of the lower half of the assembly, and having the outer edges of the four separated portions 25 formed in convex arcs corresponding to the arcs l9 and 20 of the lower assembly. From Figs. 2 and 3 it will now be apparent that with the constant rotation of the lower driven shaft 14, and therewith rotation of the plates l6 and 2| which are rigidly secured to shaft N, there will be intermittent rotation of the upper shaft l5, and with each 180 rotation of the lower shaft there will be a 90 rotation of the upper shaft occurring during a portion of that period only.

A sprocket wheel 2c is rigidly secured on the end of shaft 15 and a sprocket chain 21 con-.- nects this wheel with a smaller sprocket wheel 28 on the end f a horizontal shaft 29 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4). Thus intermittent rotation of shaft 29 will occur as a result of constant rotation of shaft I 4 and the intermittent rotation of shaft 15. The sprocket wheels 2%; and 28 are of such relative size that each quarter or 90 rotation of the sprocket wheel 26 will produce a half or 180 rotation of the sprocket wheel 28.

A pair of guide walls as (Fig. 1) are provided for the paper rolls R as they are moved into the roll breaker on the traveling belt IE. Within the machine each entering roll R is required to move past a side guide plate 3! which is slightly out of alignment with the previous direction of travel of the rolls as illustrated in Fig. 1. A pusher plate 32 (see also Fig. 2), pivotally mounted at the. lower end of a lever arm 33, is so arranged as to push the rolls sideways against the guide plate 3|, and, by so doing, to force each roll individually out of alignment with the preceding rolls and thus break the rolls almost, if not completely, apart, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The lever arm 33, on which the pusher plate 32 is carried, is pivotally mounted in a support 34 and the upper end of the arm carries a roller 38 adapted to bear against the periphery of a notched disc 35 secured on the intermittently-rotating shaft 29. A sprin 3% acts to hold the roller 38 at the upper end of the arm 33 in constant contact. with the disc 35. The disc 35 (Fig. 2) is formed with two similar diametrically opposite notches 31. Thus it will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that when the rotation of the shaftv 29, and with it disc 35, causes one of the notches 31 to be engaged by the roller 38 on the upper end of the lever arm 33, the pusher plate 32, under the pull of spring will be moved outwardly or away from the paper rolls, and similarly during the time the roller 38 is in engagement with either portion of the periphery of the disc 35 between the notches 31, the pusher plate 32 will be pressed: inwardly against the paper rolls as illustrated in Fi 1.

A second stationary guide plate 39 (Fig. 1) is mounted beyond the guide plate 3! in the path of the paper rolls R. A roll-clamping plate 40, placed opposite the stationary plate 39, is movably mounted in the same manner as the pusher plate 32. Thus a notched disc 4!, similar to the notched disc 35, is secured on the shaft 29 and actuates a lever arm 32 (Fig. 4) similar to the lever arm 33 and the clamping plate 40 is pivot ally supported on said lever arm 42.

A bevel gear 13 (Figs. 1 and 4) secured on the shaft 29, meshes with a similar bevel gear 44 of the same size secured to the top of a vertical rotatable shaft 45 (Figs. 4, and 6). The shaft 45 is rotatably supported in a sleeve 41 which is rigidly secured to a machine frame member. A

block as of rectangular cross section is rotatably mounted on the vertical shaft 65 between the two horizontal plates 52 and 53, the upper one 53 being firmly secured on the shaft 45 by a suitable set screw, and the lower one being secured to the machine frame and serving as a bearing plate for the bottom end of the shaft 55. A small steel ball 68 (Fig. 6), carried in a recess in the bottom face of the block 15, and held against the face of the lower plate 52 by a coil spring, prevents any inadvertent free rotation of the block 46 on the shaft 45.

Roll-carrying fingers l9 and 58 are mounted in the center of two opposite faces of the block 46 respectively and extend horizontally therefrom and perpendicular to the planes of the faces. These fingers are so positioned that they will enter the core of the paper roll when the paper roll is moved against the corresponding face of the block 46. A block-operating slide, carried by the block lfi, consists of a pair of parallel rods 55 and 55, (Fig. 5) slidably mounted in a pair of horizontal parallel channels extending through the top portion of the block iii, and having their ends joined to a pair of identical bars 55 and 51'. The top edges of the bars 56 and 51 extend up above the plane of the top of the plate 53 as shown in Fig. 6. Each of the bars 56 and 51 carries a lug 58 which projects inwardly from the center portion of the bar. The plate 53, secured to the vertical shaft 45, has two diametrically opposite notches 5| adapted to engage either of the lugs 53 when the corresponding bar of the block-operating slide is pushed inwardly a sufilcient distance. A cam lug 59 (Figs. 5 and 6), secured to the stationary sleeve 41, is so arranged as to engage the bar 56 or the bar 51 when the block 46 is rotated, for the purpose of pushing the bar and its lug 58 outwardly and consequently causes the lug of the bar to be disengaged from a notch 51 on the plate 53. The purpose of this will be presently explained.

The operation of my roll breaker as thus far described can now be explained as follows: The operation of the motor M, causing continuous rotation of the shaft M (Fig. 2) at reduced predetermined speed, results in intermittent rotations of the shaft 15 through the intermediary of the "Geneva clutch elements, and these intermittent rotations of the shaft l5 produce corresponding intermittent rotations of the shaft 29. The notched discs 35 and ll (Fig. 1), secured on the shaft 29, are so arranged that during the periods when the shaft 29 is not rotating one of the notches on each of the discs 35 and M will engage the roller at the topv of the respective lever arm 33 or 42, and thus the pusher plate 32 and the clampingplate 40 will be in their outer positions. The vertical shaft 45 with its gear 44 is so arranged with respect to the shaft 29 and gear 43 that when the shaft 29 is not rotating the pair of diametrically opposite notches 55 of the plate 53 will be in alignment with the direction of movement of the endless conveyor belt if! (this direction being from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1).

During the moment in which the shaft 29 is not rotating, the rolls R, carried along on the belt ill, will move into the machine past the guide plate 31 and stationary plate 39 until the core of the first roll slides along one of the fingers, for example the finger 49, of the block 46 and pushes against one of the bars, for example the bar 56, of the block-operating slide and causes.-

the lug 58 of that bar 56 to engage the adjacent notch of the plate 53. The shaft 29 then starts rotating. The immediate eifect of the rotational movement of the shaft 25, and with it the notched discs 35 and 4! and the gear 43, is; (1) to cause the pusher plate 32 to move inwardly against the two rolls which it engages thus pushing these rolls out of alignment and making a break between the cut surfaces of these rolls as indicated in Fig. 1; (2) to cause the clamping plate 46 to move inwardly and clamp its adjacent roll against the stationary plate 35; and (3) to cause the block 46 with its fingers 49 and 55 (together with the roll on finger 46) to be rotated in unison with the plate 53 for 180 in clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 1). This carrying of the first roll by the finger of the block 46 completely severs all connection between the roll and the next following roll. While this first roll is being thus swung around, the clamping plate 46 will hold the next roll firmly and thus prevent any further travel of the remaining rolls until the rotating block will have come to rest.

As the block 4-6 nears the end of its 180 rotation, the cam lug 59 on the stationary sleeve 4'! engages the inside face of the bar 56 and pushes it a slight distance outwardly. This outward movement of the bar 56 brings its lug 56 out of engagement with the corresponding notch on the plate 53 and thus no further rotation of the block 45 with the plate 53 can take place until one of the lugs 58 again is pushed into engagement with one of the notches 55 on plate 53. The pushing of the bar 55 outwardly by the cam lug 59 also gives the paper roll on the finger 49 an outward shove thus aiding the roll in sliding off of the finger 46 and continuing its travel on the conveyor belt. The sliding of the roll off of the finger 49 during the 180 rotation of the block 46 is prevented by the curved outer housing wall 60 (Fig. 1).

When the shafts 29 and 45 have completed their 180 rotation they temporarily come to rest again. The clamping plate 45 and the pusher plate 32 release their holds on the rolls and the .row of paper rolls R is free to advance another step to the right with the traveling belt ID as the second roll R, slides on to the finger 56 of the block 46. Then the operation is repeated. If the second roll R fails to move all the way on to the finger 56 or fails to push the blockoperating slide all the way in until the lug 58 engages the adjacent notch on the plate 53 there will be no rotation of the block 46 even though the shaft 45 and plate 53 proceed with their next 180 rotation. If for any reason the first roll has failed to slide ofi" of its finger 49 there will be no possibility of the first roll being swung another 180 around for when the block-operating slide is pushed in far enough by the second roll to cause the next rotation of the block 46 the slide will then push the first roll entirely off the finger 49 and there will be no further rotation of the block 46 until the second roll pushes the blockoperating slide all the way in on the receiving side.

An automatic control switch 6| (Fig. 1) is connected with the motor M and is so arranged as to shut off the current to the motor when the supply of paper rolls to be broken ceases. The control switch 6! has a spring arm 62 which is adapted to be engaged by the rolls as they pass into the breaker, and, when so engaged, the arm 62 closes the control switch 6|. Spring means (not shown) in the control switch cause the arm 62 to move into the path of the paper rolls when not engaged by a roll and when the arm 62 moves it operates to open the control switch 6| and to shut ofi the power to the motor M, thus preventing useless operation of the motor and parts of the machine when no rolls are passing into the breaker to be broken apart.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification'in the roll breaker as previously described which modification consists in the substitution of a modified roll-turning element in place of the block 46 with its block-operating slide. struction a block 53 is rigidly secured on the vertical shaft 45 and thus always rotates with it. The block 63 has a pair of bracket arms 64 extending from opposite vertical faces of the block 63 respectively. Each of these bracket arms is so arranged as to engage the side of a roll R as it is moved up against the face of the block 63 while the block temporarily is stationary. Then as the block starts rotating the engaging bracket arm 64 will swing the roll out to one side. The roll continues, its outward swing after its initial push or kick by the bracket arm until it slides outwardly out of engagement with the bracket arm and comes into contact with the guide wall 65 of the housing. Then the roll continues its travel on the conveyor belt l0. With this simplified arrangement and construction of the roll-turning block I make the conveyor belt l6 wider or else provide a second conveyor belt to carry the roll along after it has been swung or kicked out of its previous path by a bracket arm of the block 63. In all other respects my roll-breaker in this modified form is similar in construction and operation to that which was first described.

It would be possible to make minor changes within the scope of my invention in the roll breaker which I have illustrated and described. Thus, for example, other means could be employed for producing the intermittent rotation of the shaft 29. However, my invention in the forms which I have illustrated has provided very satisfactory in actual operation over a period of several months, and the roll moving blocks and associated elements have operated successfully when made in either of the ways I have described.

I claim:

1. In a roll breaker of the character described, means for moving paper rolls through said breaker, a roll-moving element mounted for rotation on an axis and located in the path of said moving means, means for producing intermittent partial rotations of said element, a roll-engaging member mounted on said element, a pusher plate for temporarily pushing individual rolls out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, means for intermittently operate ing said pusher plate, and a roll-holding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls in said breaker while one roll is being moved by said element.

2. In a roll breaker of the character described, a roll-moving element mounted for rotation on a vertical axis, means for producing intermittent partial rotations of said element, roll-engaging members mounted on said element, a pusher plate for temporarily pushing individual rolls out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, means connected with said element rotating means for operating said pusher plate, a roll-holding clamp for preventing travel of sub.

In this modified consequent rolls in said breaker while one roll is being moved by said element, and means for operating said clamp connected with said element rotating means.

3. In a roll breaker of the character described, means for moving paper rolls through said breaker, a roll-moving block mounted for rotation on a vertical axis and located in the path of said moving means, means for producing intermittent 180 rotations of said block, roll-engaging members mounted on opposite faces of said block respectively, a pusher plate for temporarily pushing individual rolls out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, a rollholding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls in said breaker while one roll being moved by said block, and means for intermittent- 1y operating said clamp connected with said block rotating means.

4:, In a roll breaker of the character .a roll-turning element mounted a shaft, means for producing int r .-.ttent 13G" rotations of said shaft, roll-engag g members mounted on said element, shaft-engaging means operated by the movement of a paper roll to contact with said element and serving to cause said element temporarily to be rotated with shaft, whereby said element and the roll will be given a 180 rotation, and roll-ii ading .cla for preventing travel of subs-c uent rolls in s breaker while one roll is being turned by said element.

5. In a roll breaker of the character 6: :a roll-"urning element resented for a vertical shaft, means for pine 1. v tent 180 rotations of said sh toll-engaging members mounted on opposite n; s element respectiely, sl1aft-engaging means carried by said element actuated by the movement of a paper roll into contact with said latter mentioned means whereby to cause said element to be rotated with shaft, whereby said el and the roll will be given a 180 1' holding np for preventin tr *q-uen-t rolls in said b-rea w turn-ed by said element, mittently operating said said shaft rotating 6. in a roll breaker of the cl a roll-turning block mount vertical shaft, means for 1 180 rotations of said shaft, a ing fingers mounted on oppc block respectively, a shaft-engaging element car- 1 ried by said block and operated n the nement of a paper roll into so; said element and serving to cause said sci; temporarily to be rotated with said shaft, whereby said h and the roll will be given a 133 rota-tic a plate for temporarily pusl out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, a roll-holding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls said breaker -while one roll is being turned by said block, and means for operating said clamp connected with said shaft rotating means.

7. In a roll breaker of the character described, a roll-turning block mounted for rotation on a vertical shaft, means for producing intermittent 180 rotations of said shaft, a pair of roll-carrying fingers mounted on opposite faces of said block respectively, a shaft engaging slide carried by said block :and operated by the movement of described. station on vol of .c .-se e roll .is being 1.51s for inter-- connected with of roll-carrye faces of said a paper roll into contact with said slide and serving to cause said block to be rotated with said shaft, whereby said block and the roll will be given a 186 rotation, a pusher plate for temporarily pushing individual rolls out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, means connected with said shaft rotating means for operating said pusher plate, a roll-holding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls in said breaker while one roll is being turned by .said block, and means for operating said clamp connected with said shaft rotating means.

8.. A roll breaker including means for moving paper rolls through said breaker, a roll-moving block mounted for rotation on a vertical axis and located in the path of said moving means, means for producing intermittent partial rotations of said block, roll-engaging members mounted on said :block, a pusher plate for temporarily pushing individual I'OliS out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, means connected with said block rotating means for intermittently operating said pusher plate, and a rollholding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls in said breaker while one roll is being moved by said block.

9. A ro.l breaker including means for moving paper rolls through said breaker, a roll-turning block mounted on a vertical shaft and located in the path of said moving means, means for producing intermittent rotations of said shaft, a pair of roll-carrying fingers mounted on opposite faces of said block respectively, a block- .operating slide carried by said block operated by the movement of a paper roll into contact with said slide and serving to cause said block temporarily to be rotated with said shaft, whereby said block and the roll will be given a 180 rotation, a roll-holding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls in said breaker while one roll is being turned by said block, and means for intermittentiy operating said clamp connected with said. shaft rotating means.

10. A roll breaker of the character described comprising means for moving paper rolls through said breaker, a roll-turning block mounted on a vertical shaft and located in the path of said moving means, means for producing intermittent 180 rotations of said shaft, a pair of roll-carrying fingers mounted on opposite faces of said block respectively, a shaft-engaging slide carried by said block actuated by the movement of a paper roll into contact with said slide and. serving to cause said block temporarily .to be rotated with said shaft, a fixed slide-moving member disconnecting said slide from said shaft at the end of each 180 rotation of said block, whereby the ushing of said slide by a paper roll will cause said block and the roll to be given a 180 rotation by said shaft, a pusher plate for temporarily pushing individual rolls out of alignment upon their entry into said breaker, whereby to start the breaking apart of the separate rolls, means for intermittently operating said pusher plate, a roll-holding clamp for preventing travel of subsequent rolls in said breaker while one roll is being turned by said block, and means for operating said clamp connected with said shaft rotating means.

JOHN A. HOLMBERG.

No references cited. 

